US embassy cable - 03KUWAIT1009

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 KUWAIT 001009 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT ALSO FOR USAID - DCHA/OFDA 
 
GENEVA FOR UNDRO AND LRCS 
 
USCINCCENT ALSO FOR POLAD 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: AEMR, AMGT, PREL, ASEC, CASC, EAID, KU 
SUBJECT: SITREP NO. 3 
 
REF: KUWAIT 999 
 
1. SITREP NO. 3 AS OF 1159 HOURS LOCAL, 0359 HOURS 
WASHINGTON TIME. 
 
2. EVENTS SINCE LAST SITREP: 
 
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Security 
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All reported times are Kuwait Local, GMT plus three. 
 
At 0615hrs on 20 March 2003, POTUS addressed the nation 
and stated that American and Coalition Forces were in the 
early stages of military action in Iraq and have begun to 
strike selected military targets in Iraq. 
 
At 0625hrs, Ops Center received a call from White House 
Situation Room requesting Embassy to facilitate a 
conference call between POTUS and Kuwaiti FM at 1720 
local time to discuss the current security situation. 
 
At 0700hrs, Op Center received State 72913 NIACT 
Immediate (Beginning of Military Operations), State 72914 
NIACT Immediate (Middle East Notice to Mariners & 
Airmen), State 72915 NIACT Immediate (Public Announcement 
Middle East and North Africa Update), State 72918 NIACT 
Immediate (Public Announcement Worldwide Caution).  The 
text of both Public Announcements was distributed as a 
Warden message to AMCITS in Kuwait. 
 
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Military 
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US military reports sighting of one (otherwise undefined) 
"missile" followed by a large explosion in the far north 
of the country in the military zone.  There is also one 
report of a downed Cessna aircraft in the same area. 
CJTF/CM on the scene reports preliminarily that there are 
no detectable chemical or biological agents.  Embassy 
continues to pursue details with US military and will 
report as soon as possible.  Embassy is in close 
consultation with the MFA, as well. 
 
State 72914 (Notice to Mariners and Airmen) passed to OMC- 
K for immediate notification of Kuwaiti Navy and Air 
Force contacts.  Post also notified Kuwait Petroleum 
Corporation contacts.  Post made contact with Zuhair Al- 
Zamal, Civil Aviation, at 0930hrs and passed message. 
 
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Political 
--------- 
 
Ref Kuwait 1007, Kuwaiti government notified Ambassador 
that they want/want to be listed as members of the 
Coalition. 
 
Kuwait MFA has established an Emergency Committee (24- 
hour Operations Center) and provided Embassy with contact 
numbers. 
 
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Consular 
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CA/OCS/ACS/NESA called to provide Op Center with 
information on a CLASS name-check hit for an AMCIT who 
had requested issuance of an emergency passport for 
urgent travel out of Kuwait.  Department informed that 
the name-check hit did not/not apply to the AMCIT and 
authorized post to issue the AMCIT a limited validity 
emergency passport.  CONS issued the passport at 0930AM 
on March 20, 2003. 
 
At 0800hrs, CONS distributed two separate Warden messages 
to the American citizen community in Kuwait.  One message 
contained pre-cleared language regarding the commencement 
of military action in Iraq. The other contained the texts 
of the Public Announcement Worldwide Caution and Public 
Announcement Middle East and North Africa Update dated 
March 20, 2003.  CONS sent the Warden messages via email 
and fax, and paged all Wardens on their mobile phones to 
alert them to the existence of the messages.  The 
messages are being posted on the Embassy web-site and 
recorded on the Embassy's automated 24-hour Warden 
message telephone recording in both English and Arabic. 
 
At 1005hrs, AMCIT called to ask if the Embassy would be 
able to issue her newborn child (born on 08 March 2003 in 
Kuwait) an emergency passport for immediate travel even 
though the child has not/not yet been documented as an 
American citizen.  AMCIT claimed she has been unable to 
obtain an official Kuwaiti birth certificate or apply for 
a Consular Report of Birth Abroad for the child.  CONS 
agreed to issue the child an emergency limited-validity 
passport for urgent travel.  AMCIT will come to the 
Embassy, Consular Section, today. 
 
CONS booked reservations for two AMCITS (mother and minor 
child) to depart Kuwait for Dubai today at 1600hrs.  CONS 
provided 7 other AMCITS (and their family members) with 
flight reservation information and contact details for a 
local travel agency able to assist in booking the 
tickets.  These AMCITS will be able to depart Kuwait for 
Dubai on the same flight at 1600hrs today.  One other 
AMCIT who had requested Embassy assistance in departing 
Kuwait declined to accept booking on a flight today and 
has decided to depart Kuwait tomorrow.  All cases 
reported in SITREP 2 have now been resolved.  No other 
cases have been reported at this time. 
 
All European air carriers have suspended service to 
Kuwait.  Kuwait Airways, Emirates and several other 
carriers continue to operate. 
 
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Management 
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Embassy communications operations are now at 24/7 and the 
Embassy's Health Unit has gone to extended hours. 
 
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Pending Issues 
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Embassy is awaiting confirmation of conference call with 
White House Situation Room. 
 
3. COMMENTS: None 
 
4. STATUS OF PENDING REQUESTS: See above. 
 
JONES